I recently had a reunion with a few college friends and naturally I had to cook for them. I made a few of my dishes, yet the one that stood out the most to them was this simple little gem and balsamic salad. The tanginess of the dressing, and the different textures in the salad were the star of the meal. And although it is super simple, I found it tasty enough to share.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions:
- Little Gem Lettuce – This is by far my favorite lettuce. I tis like a mix of romaine and bibb lettuce. It has a great crunch and is super flavorful. You can however use any lettuce here.
- Fennel – I like the shaved fennel for a crunch. Celery root would also work well here.
- Apple – Any fruit works here!
- Pecans – Any nut can be substituted.
- Homemade Balsamic – The homemade truly is what makes this dish standout. If you MUST get store bought, sure do it….but note it won’t be as good.
@kellyscleankitchen How to make the best simple salad #salad #lettuce #recipe ♬ Married Life (From "Up") - Gina Luciani
Little Gem + Balsamic Salad
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 0 Hours
Total Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
- 1 package little gem lettuce
- 1 fennel, shaved
- 1 apple, thinly sliced
- 1 cup pecans
Balsamic Dressing
- 1/2 cup aged balsamic vinaigrette
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1.5 cups avocado oil
Preparation:
STEP 1.
Add the salad ingredients to a large bowl.
STEP 2.
Make the salad dressing. In a blender or container for your immersion blender, add the balsamic vinegar, mustard, honey, garlic, salt and Italians seasoning. Blend until mixed.
While blending, slowly add the oil a little bit at a time to emulsify. Add until you reach desired thickness.
STEP 3.
Dress the salad with the dressing and enjoy! Note that you may not need all of the dressing, it makes a decent amount.
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